No backing down
by FeniFiction
Summary: This was a fiction I did a while ago, if people like it enough then I'll write some more if people want to know what happened. Reviews welcome, I've added more on and if I get over 200 views then I'll finish the story off. Thanks also to CallieRobbins4 for helping me with ideas. Go check out her stuff its great.
1. Chapter 1

Title: No backing down  
Author: Cw7421  
Game: Mass Effect 3  
Time Line: 5 years after the war with the Reapers  
Pairing: Connie Shepard and Samantha Traynor  
Disclaimer: Mass Effect is property of Bioware  
Rating: Teen

Summary: War is over; Sam got pregnant right after war. Had baby three years ago and Sam lives with Shepard in outskirts of London. Shepard was still with the Alliance but out of active duty.

Kahlee Shepard ran out of the lift followed by her parents Connie Shepard and Samantha Traynor. One of the C-Sec guards at the lift gave Connie a sharp salute which she courteously waved away.

Connie had left active duty around 8 months after the war once Sam had decided she wanted to start a family. The Alliance desperately tried to make her stay, they even offered her a promotion to Admiral but Connie had already decided. She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Sam and she didn't want to be pulled away from her and their daughter Kahlee.

Kahlee was now four years old and was the spitting image of Connie. She had bright red hair and tall athletic build and she was, if it is possibly, even more stubborn than Connie. The only trait she seemed to inherit from Sam was her love for chess.

For Kahlee's fourth birthday she had begged her parents to take her to the Citadel and since Shepard was looking forward to seeing Liara and Kaiden again she agreed to take her. Sam decided to come along to make it a family trip. As Kahlee danced out of the lift she ran up to the barriers of the Presidium. She placed her tiny hands on the glass of the barrier and looked up.

As Connie saw her daughter she gave Sam a smile and went to kneel beside her daughter.

Connie said Kahlee, "So kiddo, what do you think of the place?"

Kahlee was silent for a moment and then replied in a whisper, "It's beautiful."

Connie smiled to herself; she took Kahlee's hand and led her up towards the stairs which lead to the rooms above the Presidium. Liara had taken up residence there instead of Ilium for her shadow broker empire. Sam followed behind Connie as Connie led Kahlee up the stairs. Connie stopped behind one of the doors and knocked on the metal to alert Liara to her presence. A hologram appeared and said in a metallic voice, "Ah, welcome Commander Shepard and family. Dr T'soni will be only a minute. She is finishing taking a call."

"Thank you Glyph," Connie replied and several seconds later the door slid open to revealed Liara sitting behind a desk. Once Kahlee had seen her she ran over to Liara. Liara bent down and picked up her up to give her a cuddle. Once Liara had put Kahlee down she walked over to Connie. She embraced Shepard and Sam and invited them over to the balcony over the Presidium.

"How is everything, I haven't heard from you in a long time." Liara said, leaning against the railings.

"Everything's been fine, we've had our hands full looking after our little bundle of joy." Connie smirked. Sam gave her a dig in the ribs and added, "At least you didn't have to go through 12 hours of labour."

Connie gave Sam one of her little smiles and put her hands round her waist. She gently placed her lips on Sam cheek and gave her several kisses on her face before gently kissing her lips. Sam knees buckled when Connie kissed her. She couldn't help it, Connie always had a way of making her so forgetfully that she would forget how to stand.

Liara gave a small cough just to remind the two lovebirds that she was still in the room. Connie and Sam broke apart leaving Sam blushing like crazy. The adults continued to talk for another twenty minutes until Glyph mentioned to Liara that she had a call waiting.

Liara gave Connie a last embrace and then returned to her desk. Connie called to Kahlee but she found no reply. It was unlike Kahlee to not reply when Shepard called for her. Connie gave a puzzling to Sam who went to the door and called down the corridor but there was still no reply. Connie began to worry, Kahlee would never run off on her own. Was she taken? When she thought this her heart suddenly began to race. She ran back to Laira while Sam ran out of the door to check the rest of the corridor and the rest of the Presidium.

Liara looked up and say the worry in Shepard's face. "We can't find Kahlee, do you have any views from any of the security cameras" Shepard breathed, her voice fully of worry. Liara automatically ended her call and began to tap furiously away at her keypad. Soon several Video feeds came up and Laira rewound the feeds. Shepard watched the feed like a hawk and soon noticed Kahlee's small figure moving across the camera's field of view. She motioned for Liara to stop rewinding the feed. Laira left the video to run and Shepard watched in horror as she saw Kahlee walk past a door, be grabbed by a large batarian and be dragged, by her arms, into the room. Just as the video finished Sam rushed back into the room, breathless. Shepard rushed towards Sam, grabbed her waist and told her "Someone has taken Kahlee; I just watched it on the security camera." Sam went stiff and stared to shake.

Sam grabbed hold of Connie's arms and said, "We have to get her back." Connie nodded and turned to Laira.

"Watch the video feeds and make sure no one leaves that room." Connie shouted and she and Sam rushed out of the room. Connie sprinted down the corridor with Sam right behind her. She couldn't let anything happen to Kahlee, she was so young and innocent and she was probably very scared. If that batarian had even touched her then she could crush his skull with every piece of biotic strength she could muster.

Connie and Sam reached the door that Kahlee had been taken into. Shepard placed herself at the door and whispered to Sam "Stay behind me, I can't let anything happen to you either."

The doors slid open without protest at the touch of Shepard's hand as the door slid open Connie say Kahlee spread out on the floor with a huge batarian standing behind her. His mouth slid open in a wide grin that showed his sharp elongated teeth. Shepard ran into the room only to be stopped two steps later by a scream that came from behind her. As Sam had followed her into the room two batarians, which were standing on either side of the door, grabbed both her arms and one held a pistol to the side of her head.


	2. Chapter 2

Connie froze. Sam to her back, Kahlee in front of her and they were both in trouble. A large bulky batarian strode up to her and leered down at Commander Shepard and said in a derisive tone, "So Shepard what are you going to do now." and with a sharp jab he injected a needle into Shepard's muscled arm. Connie let out a sharp yell, Sam shrieked and Kahlee whimpered. Connie dropped to her knees.

"What the hell have to done to me you batarian scum!?" Connie spat.

"Well Shepard we have injected you with a biotic suppressant, don't worry it will only last a while. Don't try and call for help because we have lock a door and the code will take over an hour to break and by that time we will be well away and the reason we are here is to cause you the same pain and suffering you caused to an entire system."

As he finished talking he took a small predator pistol from one of the batarian's standing round the room. He pressed the pistol against Shepard's chest and said, "Right now you have two options; Either you let us shot your daughter…"

The moment the leader said this both Sam and Connie cried out and shouted "Don't you dare you bastard!"

"Or" said the batarian with a viscous sneer, "you shoot your wife to save your daughter."

Connie's jaw dropped, she was placed in an impossible situation. She would never let anything happen to Kahlee; who was her shining joy, her light in her dark life. But then she thought of Sam. Sam was the other half of her soul, more herself than Connie was. She was the calm, kind and caring specialist who wasn't supposed to have seen any of the horrors that this old marine had. But now she had to choice, let her daughter die or hurt her wife to save her.

Sam interrupted her thoughts, "Connie, please to anything to save Kahlee!". Sam had tears streaming down her face at this point. She couldn't bare to see Connie placed in this decision but she would do anything to save Kahlee, even give up her own life. She was still being held down by the batarians and Kahlee was staring at her parents in total confusion.

The leading batarain said in a very matter of fact way, "Oh yes, I forgot to mention you have a minute to decide what you are going to do or we will shoot both your daughter AND your wife."

Connie almost vomited, she really now had to choose. She shakily walked up to Sam and knelt by her side, the pistol still clutched to her chest. Sam almost immediately reached out her hand to clutch Connie's, Sam said in pleading tones "Please Connie, just…shoot me, Save…our…daughter." The words were now broken up by sobs coming from both Connie and Sam.

The seconds ticked by and Shepard still couldn't bring herself to do it.

"30 seconds left to decide Shepard" laughed the batarain, taking obvious glee that the sight of Shepard's torment.

With quivering hand, Sam paced the pistol on her leg. Connie was still holding it as the barrel was paced against Sam's smooth thigh. Connie's hands were shaking so much she could barely hold on to the trigger.

"20 seconds left"

Sam tried and tried to convince Connie to pull he trigger but Connie remained staring at Sam's face with a look of absolute confusion. The gun was still resting on Sam's thigh.

"10 seconds left"

Sam was still pleading with Connie to pull the trigger. She wept and sobbed and cried all the while tears ran down Connie's face.

"5 seconds left"

Connie placed her forehead against Sam's and placed her shaking finger over the trigger. She had to do it now or lose Kahlee for ever.

"2 seconds left"

In the final moments she closed her eyes, pressed her tear stained lips against Sam's and pull the trigger.

He shot rang out like the blast from a reaper's siren. It filled Shepard's ears but moments after it was placed with something that was even worse for Shepard to hear, the combined sound of Sam screaming in pain and Kahlee crying out in fear. The instant the shot was fired Sam's leg began to bleed. The moment Shepard saw the blood she threw the pistol across the room and clamped both hands over the gaping hole in Sam's leg. Through all the commotion the batarians dropped Kahlee and began to leave the room. As the leader left he bent down to Shepard and whispered to her, "So how does it feel now to have all you ever cared for destroyed in front of your eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, I've been a bit busy lately so this chapters not as long as would want it to be but I'll carry the series on if people want to know more. Feni :)**

Soon after the gun was fired a couple of C –Sec officers, followed by Commander Bailey and Liara, came in the room. On seeing the sight of Sam and Kahlee, Laira immediately sent off for an ambulance and both Sam and Kahlee were ushered off to the hospital on the citadel while Shepard was taken for questioning by Commander Bailey. Commander Bailey took both Liara and Connie off to the headquarters and took several statements from both Liara and Shepard. Liara could see she was obviously distracted and was worried about Sam and Kahlee. She assured Commander Bailey that she would answer any questions on behalf of the commander if Shepard could be reunited with her family. Bailey could see the distress on Shepard's face so he decided to cut the session short and allowed Liara and Shepard to leave. As they left the headquarters Connie made a bee line for the lift, followed swiftly by Laira. As they got into the lift a deathly silence fell over the pair. Shepard's face looked like the face of someone beaten, a look that Laira had never seen. This scared Laira as Shepard was usually so optimistic; full of some much hope and life that it had the habit of infecting other people around her. Everything now was gone.

Shepard arrived at the hospital and as soon as she reached the wards a nurse came up to greet her with a sharp salute. Shepard waved away the formality and earnestly said, "Please, tell me what the status of Samantha Shepard and Kahlee Shepard is."

The nurse said earnestly, "Well, Commander. Your wife sustained major injures but fortunately the bullet entry and exit wounds missed any major arteries. She did sustain quite major blood loss but we have stabilised her condition. She is currently sedated after the surgery and will be waing up in the next couple of hours."

Shepard breathed a large sign of relief. She was pleased to know that Sam wasn't in any more danger. She asked the nurse, "Will there be any long lasting damage?"

Thee nurse replied formally, "Not as far as we know, the muscle growth should return the leg to normal and the nerve damage shouldn't be too large. She may suffer mild sensation lost as well as the large amounts of scars we were unable to avoid."

At the mention of scars Connie's heart dropped. All she could like about was imaging the sight of Sam's smooth thigh, which she loved to run her hands down especially when they were lying in bed together being pop marked by rough ridges. Sam always had the habit of lying with the legs hitched up around Shepard's waist while she laid her arms around Shepard's shoulders. Connie was never happier were it was just her, Sam ad Kahlee on a lazy Sunday afternoon. Now everything had turned upside down in an instant and now Shepard's happiest moments were tainted by the image of scars, just like her own, running up and down Sam's leg. Connie had never liked her own scars and would never usually be naked for long periods of time unless Sam was there because she hated looking at the matrix of stark, raised white lines that criss-crossed her body. Sam would always reassure her by telling her that she liked Connie's unique scars but Connie liked nothing more than looking at the scar-free body of her wife and think of how innocent she was compared to the batted old marine.

"Commander!?", the nurse said with a slightly raised voice. Shepard had drifted off into a daze and had been reawakened by the nurse's shout.

"Would you still like to know about Kahlee Shepard?"

"Of course," said Shepard in muffled tone. She had almost forgotten about Kahlee after being so worried for Sam.

"Kahlee had no signs of physical trauma but she is displaying a large amount of symptoms of deep set, physiological trauma. She has been very quiet and is only asking to see your wife Sam and has not spoken about you. When she is prompted to think of you she goes very quiet and doesn't answer any questions."

With this remark, Shepard turned on her heels and walked out of the hospital. Not caring to listen to the rest of the status report.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry I've been away so long. University has a way of sucking up all your time. I'll carry on the story if people want. Thanks to CallieRobbins4 who has given me lots of inspiration with her stories. Se you round an drop a review. Feni :) **

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Sam woke up kind of groggy and looked around the white room. She gently sat up and saw to her surprise that there was nobody else in the room. All the other times she had been in hospital Connie was right by her side whenever she woke up. She moved to swing her legs out of the bed but doubled over with a shriek of pain as the muscles and skin stretched over her thigh, causing the stiches to break and move. A nurse hurried in and forced Sam to lie back down saying that due to her injuries she has to have the wound stitched up and that it would take several days to heal. Sam unwillingly sat back down and as the nurse was leaving she asked, "Please tell me, Do you know where my daughter Kahlee and my wife are?"

The nurse answered as she left the door, "Kahlee is still in the hospital and has been desperate to see you for the past few hours but your wife, as soon as I had told her the reports on both of you she up and left without a word of where she was going. None of the hospital staff has seen her since."

Sam couldn't understand why Shepard wouldn't be here. Sam started to worry; Shepard had a habit of having very bad withdrawal symptoms. Most of the time she would tolerate Sam being there but in bad cases she would lock herself in her office and deny anybody entrance. This used to happen once every few months before Kahlee was born but after she was born. The change happened several years after Kahlee was born when she could walk and was just starting to learn how to talk. Connie had locked herself in the office and Sam couldn't get a word out of her when Kahlee went up to the office door gently knocked and whispered softly is she could come in. To Sam sheer astonishment, she heard footsteps approach the door, the door opening and then Kahlee walked inside. Sam was amazed the amount of power Kahlee held over Shepard. Sam had walked into the office several hours later to see them both asleep, Kahlee curled up in Connie's lap.

Sam was lost deep in thought when she heard footsteps entering the room, she looked up to see Kahlee in a set of hospital pyjamas walk into her room. Sam was so relieved to see Kahlee aright that tears started to come to her eyes. Kahlee seemed unsure of what to do so Sam beckoned her over to the bed where she lifted her onto the bed with her. Kahlee settled under the sheets and cuddled to Sam side, wrapping her small arms across her own chest and placing her head again Sam. Kahlee began to let out a few small sniffles but didn't say anything. Mother and daughter stayed there for a long time without saying anything apart for Sam asking occasionally questions if she was cold or hungry.

Several days past and Sam leg started to heal up very quickly. Sam and Kahlee were both discharged from hospital after 4 days but with doctor's orders of continual check-ups on both of them. Connie Shepard hadn't been seen since the accident and Sam was now very worried. She tried not to show it to Kahlee but she couldn't help it, sometimes her mind would wander. After leaving the hospital on the 4th level of the citadel Sam contacted Liara to meet her for any word on Connie's whereabouts. She met Liara outside the taxi stand on the docks. Laira look concerned as Sam and Kahlee neared her adding to Sam trepidation.

"I haven't had any direct contact with her and I have tried, so I had to track her through her movements and her uses of her spectre status. Several hours after your accident she was clocked in at the spectre offices and she stayed there for an hour or so and then she dropped off the radar. I don't know how she got off the citadel but the next time she was see was when she used her spectre status for a quick jump through the Sol relay. All I can assume is that she is on earth…"

Liara's omni tool flashed and she began scrolling through steams of data in front of Sam. Sam kept silent for several seconds but interrupted Liara with a cough and asked "Do you know any more news?"

Liara looked up and said "I've just received a message from one of my contacts in Vancouver have just contacted me telling me that she had seen Shepard around 4 days ago making her way towards the direction of your house, so if I can suggest anything you should head back home and if she's not there contact me."

Sam thanked Liara for the information and her help and as she was just about to walk away Sam gently placed her hand on her wrist and whispered quietly into her ear, "Connie may be in a bad state when you find her, stay with her. She'll need your support more than ever."

Sam nodded; Sam would never let her go. When the fate of the galaxy rested on her shoulders she stood by her side. She had watched her come back from death's door and spent over 3 months in hospital waiting for her wake up and heal so they could carry on their lives together. Every happy memory Sam had in the last decade had Connie in them; when she proposed to her, when they had Kahlee together, when Connie had a day off and they used to just cuddle up on the sofa and watch awful movies that Connie loved.

The trip back to earth took a day and a half until they got to Vancouver. Kahlee and Sam headed in a hired taxi out to the suburbs of the city where they house was. The house didn't have a white picket fence but it was close enough to Sam's vision that she grudgingly accepted into buying but right now she was more worried about the person inside the house.


End file.
